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Wolves inducting four onto Wall of Fame this weekend

After coming out of the gate flying on Saturday night in Lucknow, the Ripley Wolves cruised to an 8-2 win against their cross-township rivals.

Mark Stanley led the way with a hat-trick, Zac McIntosh added two late goals, and Travis VanGaver, Brian Stanley and Jarred Colling rounded out the scoring. Assists went to M. Stanley (2), Tyler deVos (2), Corey McCrae (2), Jeremy McQuillin, Kyle Gallant, B. Stanley and VanGaver.

Kurt Edwards was great in the Wolves net, stopping 33 shots on his way to the win.

The Wolves, who have 15 points, have a great opportunity to gain ground on the Durham ThunderCats, who sit in fifth place with 21 points, this weekend. The Wolves are on home ice twice, hosting the Cats at 8:30 p.m. on Friday night, before hosting the fourth place Shallow Lake Crushers on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

The Ripley Wolves will also add four more names to its Wall of Fame at the team’s final home game of the season on Saturday, which is also Sponsor Appreciation Night.

The team will recognize the contributions of Mark Burgess (post-humously), John Chatham, Wally Houston and Ken MacDonald to the team’s success since 2003 in a pre-game ceremony.

Mark Burgess, who passed away in 2004, was a key member of the executive committee who brought the Wolves back to Senior A hockey at the turn of the century. Mark was a tireless contributor to the team and helped build the foundation for its future success. His legacy lives on with the team through the Mark Burgess Award, given annually to the Wolves’ most dedicated player.

John Chatham, who has a long history of volunteering with Ripley Minor Hockey, turned his effort to the Wolves as they reorganized and returned to the WOAA Senior A league. John and his late daughter Tara volunteered countless hours organizing and operating the Wolves Den, a difficult job but one they did without complaint season after season.

A recently retired member of the Wolves executive, Wally Houston spent over a decade with the organizing committee assuming many roles. Wally’s dedication to the success of the team has been difficult to match over the years.

Anyone who has attended a Wolves game over the past 11 years will have seen Ken MacDonald’s familiar face watching intently from his spot high above the opposing team’s net. Ken is, without question, the Wolves most dedicated fan, having missed only a handful of home games since 2003. As gatekeeper of the ‘Wolves Hot Stove’ you can be sure Ken will be there to talk hockey each and every night.

Friday night is Minor Hockey Night, so kids should wear their team jerseys. The game is sponsored by Pollock Electric and Ripley Legion Branch 440.

Saturday is Wall of Fame and Sponsor Appreciation Night, with the ceremony and puck drop at 7:30 p.m. The sponsors for the final home game of the regular season are Green Acres Campground and Kincardine Home Hardware.

The Wolves travel to Shelburne on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. to finish the regular season, and the playoffs will begin the first weekend of February. Watch www.ripleywolves.com or follow us on Twitter @RipleyWolves and Facebook for first-round match-up information.